In January, strawberry nurseries from 12 countries and a team from UC Davis joined GPG for a visit to Egypt and Jordan, exploring advancements in strawberry genetics.
The group first visited Domiatec Agri-Group in Egypt, where presentations and field visits showcased the professionalism of Domiatec’s tissue culture laboratory and nursery facilities. The NEW UC Davis varieties demonstrated impressive fruit quality and yield, reinforcing Egypt as a key player in the global strawberry market.
The group then travelled to Jordan, where Highland Ag Investments, led by Abdallah Al Tayeh, showcased outstanding UC Davis cultivars: UC Victor, UC Valiant, UC Moxie, and UC Royal Royce. A highlight was the new high-specification tunnels from Haygrove: 1 hectare for UC Davis fruit production, 1 hectare for nursery propagation.
Standout varieties showing remarkable performance in Jordan included UC Victor (Short-Day Variety) which exhibited a massive fruit load and is expected to reach a significant peak in May and June, similar to trends seen in California’s east coastal regions. This variety produced large, high-quality fruit with exceptional shelf life, excellent flavour with a well-balanced sugar-acid profile. Another variety that demonstrated outstanding fruit size and vibrant colour, meeting the high expectations was UC Royal Royce.
This showcase reaffirmed Egypt and Jordan’s growing roles in global strawberry production. With expert growers, premium genetics, and cutting-edge infrastructure, the future looks bright.
